Integrated Management Systems
Integrated Management Systems
As a result of global economic development, organizations have been subjected to a multitude of risks from both the external and internal environment, so the need to develop "general reference criteria" has arisen in order to implement management systems performing in the field of product or service quality, environment, occupational health and safety, food safety, information security, etc.
Annually, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) publishes over a thousand new ISO standards. Among the ISO standards, the most well-known are those from the 9000 family - quality management and 14000 - environmental management. However, the range of ISO standards is very large, targeting various domains and issues and, in order to respond to global challenges, in the last decade, certifications regarding occupational health and safety, information security or food safety have grown in scale.
In prezent, standardele de referinta pentru un sistem de management integrat sunt:
ISO 9001 – for quality;
ISO 14001 – for the environment;
ISO 45001 – for occupational health and safety.
Adoptarea unui management integrat bazat pe toate cele trei sisteme ar fi solutia optima pentru o organizatie pentru a putea preveni si acoperi in mod optim tipurile de riscuri cu care se confrunta si pentru a putea raspunde cat mai bine cerintelor partilor interesate referitoare la calitatea produselor furnizate/serviciilor prestate, consecintele activitatilor organizatiei asupra mediului inconjurator, respectiv sanatatea si securitatea propriilor angajati. Organizatiile ale caror domenii de activitate nu implica riscuri mari in ceea ce priveste sanatatea si securitatea lucratorilor ar putea gasi insa soluţia optima prin adoptarea unui quality-environment integrated management system.
Quality
In the current conditions of the market economy, quality must be considered the strategic key to the competitiveness of products and services on the competitive market. The products and services offered must simultaneously fulfill two basic conditions: to be useful and profitable. Because it plays an essential role in the performance of the modern organization, quality must represent the main concern within the management due to the economic and social implications that are of great depth.
For organizations from the food field, the optimal solution would be the implementation of a integrated food quality-safety system (ISO 9001 and ISO 22000). According to the United Nations, the production of safe and sustainable food is one of the highest priorities of all governments facing the problem of food security caused by population growth and the complexity of supply chains. Food safety considers the prevention, elimination and control of food hazards, from the place of production to the final consumer and can only be maintained through the combined efforts of all stakeholders: governments, producers, traders and final consumers. The new edition of the ISO 22000 standard was adopted by ISO in 2018 as a response to this global priority (www.iso.org – The annual report of ISO, 2018).
For service provider organizations and which collect, process, store or transmit information in various forms, the optimal solution would be the implementation of a integrated management system that takes into account both the services provided and information security what determines the sustainable success of the organization. Effective implementation and certification of the integrated system - service management and information security in accordance with ISO/IEC 20000-1 and ISO/IEC 27001 guarantees the organization's ability to provide standardized services, of a high quality level, while ensuring the security and protection of the organization's resources against damage.
The type and number of standards chosen for the creation of an integrated management system represent a strategic decision of the organization, a decision influenced by the size, structure, sector of activity, typology of its products or services. Regardless of the structure of the integrated management system, its contribution to the long-term development of the organization is indisputable.
The importance and contribution of ISO standards to the fulfillment of the objectives of the United Nations for sustainable development is very well argued even by the International Organization for Standardization in the document published in 2018 (available on www.iso.org).
According to this report, the more than 22,000 standards and associated documents contribute to each of the three pillars of sustainable development:
– economical - by facilitating international trade, supporting industrial development, competitiveness on global markets, efficient use of natural and human resources, food safety, health, environmental protection or sustainable business practices;
– social - ISO standards cover all social aspects: well-being, health systems, accessibility and social inclusion;
– environment - ISO standards cover aspects starting from the implementation of a sustainable environmental management system to the measurement and reduction of greenhouse gases, emissions and energy consumption, encouraging responsible consumption.